Brenda Carus

From Zen mediation to bluegrass, there is a lot going on in the area in the next week!

~ Tour a local garden with the Green County Garden Club on Thursday. Jeff Burandt will give a guided tour of his ponds and a discussion on water gardening. Call Wanda at 608 219-8480 for time and address.

~ Have you signed up for the Sugar River Golf Outing? The Belleville Chamber put together this outing for Saturday at Arguement Golf Course. $25 includes includes 9 holes of golf with a cart, along with steak dinner and beer after wards, and prizes. Call Dave Ace at Eyeball Machine or Regina Moyer at Amcore Bank-Belleville to sign up.

~ Come listen to live music this Saturday at either Baumgartners (Monroe) or Tofflers (New Glarus).

~ If you prefer your music outdoors, come to the Brooklyn Bluegrass Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Ameteurs and professionals will gather for workshops, concerts, homemade food, campfires, local beer and more.

~ Are you looking to try something new? Susan Myoyu Andersen Roshi is having an introductory class on Zen meditation at the Great Plains Zen Center on Saturday, June 7 from 9am - 11:30am. Suggested donation is $15 ($8 for seniors and students). The Zen Center is wheelchair accessible.

~ Have you been to the Toy Train Barn lately? Just east of Argyle, only 10 miles from Monroe, the Toy Train Barn is a celebration of all things railroad. Vintage miniatures, fully operational layouts with city or county scenes, Thomas the Tank Engine and the Goodyear Blimp - there is a little bit of everything. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children.

~ The Zor Shrine Circus is coming to town next week. Come to one of the shows on Wednesday, June 10 at the Green County Fairgrounds. Do you need some buy one, get one free tickets? Drop us an email and we will mail you some.

~ Next week, come Downtown in Monroe for the first Concert on the Square for the summer. Horsefeathers plays rockabilly on Thursday, June 11 from 6:30 until 8:30. Box lunches are available from some of the Downtown restaurants: Cafe Claudeen, Garden Deli, Turner Hall.

~ Thespian alert! Monroe Theatre Guild is auditioning for the role of Scrooge for this winter's performance. Auditions will be next Friday, June 12. You can pick up the script, which is new this year and an original piece written by Fr. Klarer, at the library.

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When in doubt, go to the source. There is so much confusion and misunderstanding about the first time home buyers tax credit these days. I know that if I am unsure if buyers will qualify, the people to ask are the mortgage lenders and tax professionals.

This set of scenarios and answers is from Steve Bechtolt, vice president of residential lending here at Wisconsin Community Bank in Monroe. Steve and the people at WCB are very helpful, and I would not hesitate to recommend any of them to buyers looking for financing.

First-Time Homebuyer Credit: Scenarios

Q. If a single person (Taxpayer A) qualifies as a first-time homebuyer at the time he/she purchases a home with someone (Taxpayer B) that is not a first-time homebuyer and then later that year they marry each other, is the credit still allowed?

A. Eligibility for the first-time homebuyer credit is determined on the date of purchase. If Taxpayer A, a first-time homebuyer, buys a house and then later that year marries Taxpayer B, not a first-time homebuyer, the credit is allowable to Taxpayer A. Taxpayer A may take the maximum credit.

Q. Taxpayer A is a single first-time home buyer. Taxpayer B (parent) cosigns for A and does not qualify. Both names are on the mortgage. Can Taxpayer A claim the credit and, if so, how much?

A. Yes. Taxpayer B is not a first-time homebuyer and cannot claim any portion of the credit, but A may claim the entire credit ($7,500 for purchase in 2008; $8,000 for purchase in 2009), if the home was purchased as Taxpayer A's primary residence.

Q. A taxpayer owned her principal residence. Several years ago, she decided to relocate to a rented apartment, but did not sell the former residence. Instead, she rented it out to tenants. Now the taxpayer plans to buy another house and make it her new principal residence. Does she qualify for the first-time homebuyer credit?

A. A taxpayer who owned rental property within the past three years is still eligible for the credit. The taxpayer cannot have owned and used a home as his or her principal residence within the last three years.

Q. If husband and wife wanted to sell the home that the wife owned when they got married, and the husband had not owned a home within the past three years, could he qualify as a first-time homebuyer for the credit even though the wife would not qualify?

A. No. The purchase date determines whether a taxpayer is a first-time homebuyer. Since the wife had ownership interest in a principal residence within the prior three years, neither taxpayer may take the first-time homebuyer credit. Section 36(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code requires that the taxpayer and the taxpayer's spouse not have an ownership interest in a principal residence within the prior three years from the date of purchase. The husband may not take the credit even if he filed on a separate return.

First time home buyers, there is a lot more flexibility with the tax credit than some people have been thinking. This is a great time to purchase, so if you are thinking of moving in to home ownership, come talk with us or any of the local lenders about getting started in the home buying process.

In July, Monroe Theatre Guild has the first run of their new Fairytale Theatre children's theater workshop and performance.

Fairytale Theatre is much more than just a play for children. Up to 60 children ages 8-18 may enroll in this combination workshop and performance event.  High school students will direct it under the tuttelage of Dave Bristow, learning the art of directing in a hands on fashion.

Kids ages 12-18 have the option of enrolling as part of the scenic and technical crew. They will learn directly from MTG powerhouse Suzanne Miller as they help to design, build and paint the set. This crew will also learn all of the backstage jobs - lighting, running the crew, and stage management.

The cost for this workshop and theater exeprience is $50 for member, $60 for non-members, but MTG wants to be sure that money will not stand in the way of any child who truly wants to take part in this experience. MTG is actively looking for sponsors for scholarships at the moment.

Please consider sponsoring a scholarship yourself or in conjunction with a couple of friends. Five friends each contributing just $10 would enable a deserving child to participate in Fairytale Theatre this summer. Sponsors will be named in the show program, but you do have the option of remaining anonymous if you prefer.

If you are able to sponsor a scholarship or raise the funds for scholarship, you can send a check to Monroe Theatre Guild, c/o Suzanne, 907 13th Avenue Monroe, WI 53566. Include a note stating that is for a scholarship for Fairytale Theatre.

 All rights reserved. Photographed in rural Green County, WI, 2009.

A new store joined the Square earlier this month. Sequels features higher end consignment furniture.

The only constant is change, and change is something that we do see in the businesses that line Monroe's Downtown Square. It is refreshing to see a new store offering something different and obviously in demand for our area.

Have you outgrown your college furnishings, but do not have the budget for more refined furnishings yet? Did you just purchase a new home and ran out of furniture before you ran out of rooms?  Do you prefer to buy consignment pieces due to the lower environmental footprints associated with reusing? Maybe you simply prefer saving a little money while still furnishing your home with high quality pieces. You need to stop in to see the rapidly changing stock at Sequels. 

I was in Sequels a couple of times over the course of a few weeks, and the inventory varied greatly. The hand painted canvas featuring a glorious red poppy that I had my eye was long gone by the time I went back for it, and I noticed that the stock of larger furniture pieces was very different as well.

The prices are very fair at Sequels, and people who are quick to recognize the deals should not delay in purchasing like I had. From custom furniture and home decor pieces to art work and china, the stock at Sequels is bound to be snapped up by people with an eye for refined decorating.

Sequels is located on the east side of Monroe's Downtown Square. Rosemary is the owner, and she is a lively woman who is a treat to chat with. Pop in, say hi and browse a bit. If you spot something floral and hand painted, give me a call.

My living room needs something new. I wonder who snapped up the poppy painting...